Friday, 31 December 2010

Reflections on 2010

Yet again another New Year’s Eve rolls around. The weather forecasters tell us it will be 40 C today and we are beginning to feel the heat. The haggis is ready for nachos and we are still swimming in sweet food leftover from Christmas. We have plum pudding, gingerbread, panforte and Hersheys kisses. So today I made truffles and E bought mini yule logs! You can’t accuse us of lacking in festive spirit! (And since starting this post, my mum has brought some of her Christmas cake.)

New Year’s Eve for many is a triumph of hope over experience but I have got to the stage in life where I am quite happy to stay at home with E and Sylvia, watch the Edinburgh Tattoo on the telly, eat haggis and compile lists. My computer has been making life difficult for me but if you read this post you will know I have triumphed over technology to reflect on 2010.

2010: a Year of Change:

It has been an intense year requiring a lot of adjustment. Some change has been delightful. Sylvia has grown from a little baby sitting on the rug eating mush, to a running, climbing whirlwind who charges around with dolly in the pram, demands bikkies and cake, and feels she should be sitting on a chair not a highchair. Returning to work after a year of maternity leave was challenging with a wee one at home and constant change at work.

There have been other changes too. E’s mother and my grandmother died this year within months of each other. Friends and family have left Melbourne. We got digital tv. E has a new job. We have a new car. The backyard continues to fill up with Sylvia’s playthings – cubby hut, tricycle, sandpit, balls and a noisy plastic lawn mower. We sought highchairs and portacots on holidays in Sydney and Port Fairy, hardly went out to cafes and the cinema but spent more time in parks, and learnt a whole new language from Sylvia.

I have barely had time to look at the new cookbooks of the year but amidst all the busy times I have managed to continue blogging (hurrah - who needs sleep!) so here are some lists of highlights of 2010 – a best of, and a blogging round up.

The Best of 2010:

Best book: Room by Emma Donoghue

Best film: Wild Target (with honorable mention to Animal Kingdom)

Best television show: The Silence

Favourite talk show host: Jon Faine

Best gig: Leonard Cohen at Hanging Rock (admittedly it was my only gig of the year)

I sold my soul and accepted my first blog freebie.It was a pass to Taste of Melbourne, which only caters for vegetarians if you have a sweet tooth.

Every bit as interesting and overwhelming was Eat Drink Blog – Australia’s first blogging conference.

Best of all were the veganbloggerspotlucks that I was fortunate enough to go to this year. It was so much fun to taste some of the food that appears on these blogs.

Happy New Year!

This is my 732nd post. I have been blogging long enough to feel overwhelmed at all the recipes I have posted and yet I have plenty more good food that I hope to share, plus some more reflective posts. I continue to find blogging a wonder of connection and discovery, a portal to good food and food friendship and a way of keeping my horizons broad.

Thanks to everyone who had shared food with me, entertained me, made me laugh, supported me in the hard times and brought some happiness into my life. Particular thanks to E, Sylvia and my family. May your 2011 be filled with good food, good company and good times!

Happy New Year to you Johanna - what a lovely round up post. 2010 sounds as though it has been an interesting year for you. I hope 2011 brings good things for you and all your family and that you continue to enjoy blogging as much as your readers enjoy your stories and recipes.

I, too, love this list of greats, firsts, and more. I am amazed at the number of posts you've written (allthat cooking! Allt hat writing!!), and love reading about what has been going on in your life. Wishing you, E, Sylvia, Zinc and the rest of your circle all the best in 2011. So glad that I entered that "portal of good food and friendship" to meet up with with you. :) xo

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About Me

Recipes and reflections in which our vegetarian heroine dreams of being tall and graceful as a giraffe; being a goddess in the kitchen; and being gladdened by green gadgets, green food and green politics because green is the colour of hope. See About Me for more info.